


Of Friendship and Fancying

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Marauders' Era, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-02-06
Updated: 2007-02-06
Packaged: 2019-01-19 16:36:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12413907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: Lily and James have never been friends. Is it possible for them to start now? Or is there too much between them?





	Of Friendship and Fancying

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

**A/N: Hi! This is my first fanfic ever! I’ve read for a while and thought I’d try my hand at it.  Reviews would be lovely! And they’ll probably determine whether or not I continue! Woo, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: And I totally own none of the characters etc of Harry Potter.  Those are certainly not from my mind!**

Lily Evans was sitting at a table in the library minding her own business.  She may not have been making much progress in her work, but that was not her fault.  No, it most definitely was not her fault, at least not wholly.  It was _his_ fault.  _He_ had caused this rift to form within her.  Damn him and his…his…his existence!

_Lily was leaving the potions classroom by herself.  The bell had rung a few minutes earlier, but she had chosen to remain behind a few moments to copy down the rest of the notes that Professor Slughorn had added to the board as the bell was ringing.  Most of the students dismissed them since it was a Friday afternoon and the last class of the day.  But Lily remained behind the extra few minutes to record the significance of the additional 20 clockwise turns that were added by William Hornsby in 1457 to the original procedure for the developing photography._

_Lily finished her copying and packed up her belongings, taking care to not forget anything as she was apt to do.  She really despised having to return to the dungeons on her own.  At this thought, she realized with a start that she was alone in the room, and would have to return to the Gryffindor common room alone.  Mentally scolding herself for her stupidity, she prayed to whatever deity in existence that there would not be a gang of Slytherins outside to harass her.  With that, she moved towards the door of the classroom with a bit of apprehension._

_She stepped out of the room and with a quick glance, realized she was alone.  Letting out a sigh of relief, she began to walk towards the Gryffindor quarters at a quick pace.  She got no further than the end of the hallway when she heard quiet but clear steps behind her.  She spun around in the spot, drawing her wand in anticipation of a fight, only to draw on an empty hallway._

_Questioning her hearing slightly, she slowly turned around to start up the hallway again.  She walked just as quickly as before and when she heard the steps start up again, she quickened her pace to that of a run.  Because her feet were slamming on the tiled floor loudly, she wasn’t wearing running shoes; she could no longer hear the steps behind her.  However she had no doubt that they were there.  She reached the stairs leading out of the dungeons and started up them until her feet slipped on the smooth steps, and her body slammed down on them.  Her bag opened and her books flew out, landing on the steps around her.  Lily looked up in terror as she heard the slamming of running feet come to a stop in front of her.  Her wide green eyes darted about because she could not seem to find the source of sound._

_“Who’s there?” she demanded with a hysteric note in her voice._

_There was no answer._

_“Who’s there?” she asked with even greater panic showing through now. “I may not be able to see you, but I can hear you.  Now show yourself…before I stun every inch of this corridor!”_

_“Lily,” was the only response she heard.  It was a deep voice, and she immediately recognized it._

_“JAMES POTTER! You show yourself right this instant.  I am going to KILL you! Argh!”  Lily’s frustration was evident as she stacked up her books, slamming each one into a pile.  Once again, she felt humiliated in his presence.  Humiliation was not what a girl enjoys feeling in front of her crush.  Especially when said crush seems to seek out ways of causing this humiliation._

_“Lily, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” came the voice of James Potter.  He materialized in front of her as he pulled off what Lily suspected must be an invisibility cloak._

_“Well what did you mean to do James? If you haven’t noticed, there’s a war out there!  People are dying!  Students in this school are starting to take sides!  The dungeons of all places are not exactly welcome to muggleborns like me! What were you expecting this to do to me?”_

_James looked at his feet sheepishly, as he rubbed one against the other and the floor.  He noticed one of Lily’s quills had fallen to where they were and he leaned down to pick it up.  He reached out to hand it to her, and Lily realized that James had never helped her in so simple a manner before.  It was then, that she realized he had apologized.  The first words he’d said after her name were “I’m sorry.”_

_“Lily? Lily, are you okay? Oh **shit** , what have I done? Lily?” James was trying to get her attention and Lily broke free from her thoughts._

_“I…yes, I’m okay. I just…James.  James, what were you doing?”_

_“Uh, well I was watching you.”_

_Silence._

_“I saw you stay behind and I thought I’d stay too, to make sure you got back okay.”_

_“And you had to be invisible to do that?”_

_“Well, would you have let me if you’d known I was there? And be honest Lily.”_

_“I…”_

_“No, you wouldn’t’ve let me stay.  And why is that Lily?  Why do you refuse every one of my offers?  Every one of my attempts at friendship?  I don’t understand it.”_

_Lily was looking at her hands twisting in her lap.  This was wrong.  James hadn’t been offering her friendship.  He hadn’t been nice, had he?  Lily considered the James Potter of seventh year so far.  He was Head Boy, captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team, and if she pushed away the last few years, a nice guy.  He’d volunteered to tutor younger students, he’d been responsible for all his head duties, he’d even limited his prankings considerably._

_Lily looked up at James and realized that he was staring at her intently and she looked immediately back down with a blush.  Trying to form the words in her head, Lily slowly brought her gaze up to match James’.  But when her eyes reached the hazel pools of light in front of her, she was left speechless._

_James looked away first and let out a sigh of frustration.  Once again, Lily was brought back to the reality of their conversation.  Friendship. He wanted friendship.  She had fancied him since first year, though she’d never tell him that, and he wanted friendship.  Now that he seemed to be the kind of boy that she could admit to liking, admit to being worth liking, admit to want to like, he wanted friendship.  The never-ending stream of date requests had ended with the start of their seventh year as well.  And while Lily knew that their ending was pivotal in his maturing, and therefore her acceptance of her liking him, she could not help but hope that he would ask her at least one more time, so that she could finally say yes._

_But it seems to her like that is not in the books for her and James Potter.  Friendship.  She could make do with that.  For now._

_“I’m sorry, James.  I would really appreciate it if you would walk me back to the common room…as a mark of friendship?”’_

_James’ eyes brightened a bit, and he grabbed the books she had stacked earlier, and they set off up the stairs and out of the dungeons._

It was only the next morning, that Lily began to think about this encounter with James Potter.  She should have been writing her Charms essay because it was due the following Thursday, and Saturday morning was already late enough a start!  However Lily’s focus could not be found as her thoughts drifted from friendship and fancying.  The two F’s that should perhaps never go together. 


End file.
